Page 98 - Classic Rock - The Complete Story of Def Leppard 2019

PHIL COLLEN

that got to me. Particularly all the people Collen shows That affected me so much I wasn’t sure I everyone as our new member and it was
no sign of
phoning me up soon after going, “Hey wanted to carry on. In the end if was Joe wonderful to play Wembley Stadium,
flagging under
man, I could play guitar in Def Leppard…” the spotlights. who sat me down and talked me around. because we’d never done that, but the day
It was infuriating that people could be so was tinged with sadness because we had
crass. I wasn’t so much concerned that the Presumably one of the happier events in lost Freddie.
band had lost a guitarist as I had lost a that time was getting to play the Freddie
really good friend. He and I had been Mercury Tribute show at Wembley Around that time, the grunge

around the world and had all these Stadium on April 20, 1992? movement completely changed the
amazing experiences together. And then Well, not really. Freddie meant such a lot musical landscape for Def Leppard. Did
you’re supposed to turn around and tell to all of us as individuals and a band. We it force you to consider that the multi-
the world that it’s okay and you’ll carry loved him as a singer and a showman and platinum success you’d had previously

on. But it wasn’t like that at all. The band how he brought what he did into a hard was unlikely to happen again?
was like a family and we’d just lost a rock band. That was inspirational to all of It might sound strange but I didn’t see it as
member of that family. But we’d still be us, so to be there because he had died was a bad thing. I loved Nirvana – just another
getting all these phone calls and that really very sad. Don’t get me wrong… it was classic three-piece – and didn’t see them
pissed me off, I was like, “Just fuck off!” great to introduce Vivian Campbell to as part of a movement. Pearl Jam and

I’LL NEVER FORGET PLAYING DONINGTON IN

THE RAIN IN 1986 AND THE REACTION WE

GOT, BECAUSE IT MEANT THAT RICK HAD

PROVED HE COULD DO IT AGAIN.

96 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM